Tomato fruits crack when the soil moisture level fluctuates--a dry spell followed by rain, or the soil drying out followed by heavy irrigation. Cracks start at the stem end and radiate out from the shoulder of the fruit.
To avoid tomato cracking keep the soil evenly moist all growing season. Do not allow the soil to completely dry out. To check soil moisture, insert your finger into the soil 3 or 4 inches--your finger should come away just moist, not wet or dry. For mature tomato plants it is acceptable for the top inch of soil to dry--but the soil below should remain moist allowing plants to draw up soil moisture consistently.
One way to keep soil moisture even is to complete an even watering and then mulch around your tomatoes. Mulching will slow soil moisture evaporation. An alternative to mulching would be laying plastic sheeting over the planting beds and then watering at the base of the plant. Mulch and plastic can be applied after the soil warms in spring.
Tomato fruits crack when the soil moisture level fluctuates--a dry spell followed by rain, or the soil drying out followed by heavy irrigation. Cracks start at the stem end and radiate out from the shoulder of the fruit.
To avoid tomato cracking keep the soil evenly moist all growing season. Do not allow the soil to completely dry out. To check soil moisture, insert your finger into the soil 3 or 4 inches--your finger should come away just moist, not wet or dry. For mature tomato plants it is acceptable for the top inch of soil to dry--but the soil below should remain moist allowing plants to draw up soil moisture consistently.
One way to keep soil moisture even is to complete an even watering and then mulch around your tomatoes. Mulching will slow soil moisture evaporation. An alternative to mulching would be laying plastic sheeting over the planting beds and then watering at the base of the plant. Mulch and plastic can be applied after the soil warms in spring.